TAX CONTROVERSY 360

Weekly IRS Roundup April 8 – April 12, 2024

by Kevin Spencer, Evan Walters and Jeremy Kass | Apr 15, 2024 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform, Tax Refunds

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of April 8, 2024 – April 12, 2024.

April 8, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-15, which includes the following:

Announcement 2024-15, which revokes the § 501(c)(3) determination for specified organizations and stipulates that contributions made to said organizations by individual donors are no longer deductible under § 170(b)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code).
Notice 2024-31, which provides adjustments to the limitation on housing expenses for purposes of Code Section 911 for specific locations for 2024.
Revenue Procedure 2024-17, which provides a waiver under Code Section 911(d)(4) concerning time requirements for individuals who must leave a foreign country because of war, civil unrest or similar adverse conditions and are electing to exclude their foreign earned income. The revenue procedure also adds Ukraine, Belarus, Sudan, Haiti, Niger and Iraq to the list of waiver countries for tax year 2023 for which the minimum time requirements are waived.
Revenue Procedure 2024-18, which supplements Revenue Procedure 2023-32 by publishing amounts of unused housing credit carryovers allocated to qualified states under Code Section 42(h)(3)(D) for calendar year 2023 (in addition to those amounts published in Revenue Procedure 2023-32).
Final regulations, which describe rules for the elective payment of Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 tax credit amounts in a taxable year, including definitions and special rules applicable to partnerships and S corporations and regarding repayment of excessive payments. The regulations also describe rules related to a required IRS pre-filing registration process.
Final regulations, which describe rules for the elective payment of the advanced manufacturing investment credit under the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors Act of 2022, including special rules applicable to partnerships and S corporations, repayment of excessive payments, and basis reduction and recapture. The regulations also describe rules related to a required IRS pre-filing registration process.

April 8, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers about bad tax information on social media that can potentially lead to identity theft and tax problems.

April 9, 2024: The IRS warned tax professionals and businesses to remain vigilant and protect themselves against a continuing barrage of email spearfishing attempts, especially one particular type known as “new client” scams where identity thieves pose as potential clients using fake emails in hopes of stealing valuable information.

April 9, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that its Direct File pilot is open to eligible taxpayers in 12 pilot states and allows the filing of 2023 federal tax returns online for free and directly with the IRS.

April 9, 2024: The IRS released proposed regulations that would implement the statutory netting rule, which reduces the aggregate fair market value of stock repurchased by a taxpayer during a certain taxable year. Additionally, [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup April 1 – April 5, 2024

by Kevin Spencer, Evan Walters and Jeremy Kass | Apr 11, 2024 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform, Tax Refunds

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of April 1, 2024 – April 5, 2024.

April 1, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-14, which includes the following:

Notice 2024-29, which provides updates on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates for February 2024 used under § 417(e)(3)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code), the 24-month average segment rates applicable for March 2024, and the 30-year Treasury rates as reflected by the application of § 430(h)(2)(C)(iv).
Revenue Ruling 2024-7, which provides the April 2024 applicable federal rates.
Proposed regulations, which provide guidance on the Section 45V production tax credit added by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) and on the election to treat qualified property that is part of a specified clean hydrogen production facility as energy property under Section 48.

April 1, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers to beware of scammers attempting to sell or offer help setting up an online account on IRS.gov. Their goal is to get personal tax and financial information that can be used to commit identity theft.

April 2, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers there is still time to file federal income tax returns electronically and request direct deposit before the April 15 deadline.

April 2, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers to beware of promotors who push improper Fuel Tax Credit claims by misleading taxpayers as it relates to fuel use and creating fictitious documents or receipts for fuel.

April 2, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers that the credit for other dependents is a $500 nonrefundable credit available to those with dependents who are not eligible for the Child Tax Credit. Taxpayers can claim this credit in addition to the child and dependent care credit and the Earned Income Credit.

April 3, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers affected by the terrorist attacks in Israel that they have until October 7, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns that were originally due March 15 or April 15, make tax payments and perform other time-sensitive tax-related actions.

April 3, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers to avoid offer in compromise (OIC) “mills” that aggressively mislead by raising false expectations and exploiting vulnerable individuals with promises that tax debt can magically disappear. OIC mills are on the IRS’s “Dirty Dozen” list.

April 3, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers who adopted or started the adoption process in 2023 that they may qualify for the adoption credit.

April 4, 2024: The IRS warned taxpayers about groups masquerading as charitable organizations to attract donations from unsuspecting contributors and gather sensitive personal and financial information that can be exploited for tax-related identity fraud.

April 4, 2024: The IRS
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Weekly IRS Roundup March 25 – March 29, 2024

by Kevin Spencer, Evan Walters and Jeremy Kass | Apr 2, 2024 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform, Tax Refunds

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of March 25, 2024 – March 29, 2024.

March 25, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-13, which includes the following:

Notice 2024-28, which invites the public to submit items they want included in the 2024-2025 Priority Guidance Plan. The Priority Guidance Plan identifies and prioritizes the tax issues that should be addressed through regulations, revenue rulings, revenue procedures, notices and other published administrative guidance.
Revenue Procedure 2024-11, which provides general rules and specifications from the IRS for paper and computer-generated substitutes for Form 941, Schedule B (Form 941), Schedule D (Form 941), Schedule R (Form 941) and Form 8974.
Proposed regulations, which would modify existing regulations to allow certain unincorporated organizations that are organized exclusively to produce electricity from certain property to be excluded from the application of partnership tax rules.

March 25, 2024: The IRS announced that almost 940,000 people across the nation have unclaimed refunds for tax year 2020 and face a May 17 deadline to submit their tax returns.

March 25, 2024: The IRS released the transcript of Commissioner Danny Wefel’s one-year anniversary speech.

March 25, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers they can access a free recording of the 2023 Form 1099-K webinar, which provides important info for tax professionals and anyone who receives a Form 1099-K, including people who use popular payment apps and online marketplaces.

March 25, 2024: The IRS announced that individuals and businesses in the Wrangell Cooperative Association of Alaska Tribal Nation that were affected by severe storms, landslides and mudslides that began on November 20, 2023, now have until July 15, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

March 25, 2024: The IRS released Notice 2024-32, which provides guidance on the eligibility of loan borrowers through State Supplemental Loan programs and the loan size limitation for State Supplemental Loans. The notice also provides guidance on whether an issue of state or local bonds, the proceeds of which are used to finance or refinance qualified student loans (as defined in § 1.150-1(b)) or to finance qualified mortgage loans (as defined in § 1.150-1(b)), is a refunding issue.

March 26, 2024: The IRS released Announcement 2024-16, which provides general information on advance pricing agreements and the Advance Pricing and Mutual Agreement Program.

March 26, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers filing 2023 tax returns that they must check a box indicating whether they received digital assets as a reward, award, or payment for property or services or disposed of any digital asset that was held as a capital asset through a sale, exchange or transfer.

March 27, 2024: The IRS announced that the previous February 15, 2024, [...]

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Weekly IRS Roundup March 18 – March 22, 2024

by Kevin Spencer, Evan Walters and Jeremy Kass | Mar 28, 2024 | IRS Guidance, Tax Reform, Tax Refunds

Check out our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of March 18, 2024 – March 22, 2024.

March 18, 2024: The IRS released Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-12, which includes the following:

Notice 2024-26, which announces that withholding agents (both US and foreign persons) are administratively exempt from having to electronically file Forms 1042, Annual Withholding Tax Return for U.S. Source Income of Foreign Persons, which are required to be filed in calendar year 2024. Withholding agents who are foreign persons are administratively exempt in calendar year 2025 as well.
Announcement 2024-14, which revokes the § 501(c)(3) determination for Uplifting Her Inc. and stipulates that contributions made to the organization by individual donors are no longer deductible under § 170(b)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code).
Notice 2024-25, which provides population figures to use in calculating the 2024 calendar year population-based component of the state housing credit ceiling under § 42(h)(3)(C)(ii), the 2024 calendar year volume cap under § 146, and the 2024 volume limit under § 142(k)(5) of the Code.
Notice 2024-27, which requests additional comments on any situation in which an election under § 6417(a) of the Code could be made for a credit that was purchased in a transfer for which an election under § 6418(a) is made.
Revenue Procedure 2024-15, which modifies Revenue Procedure 2005-62 by expanding the definition of “public utility” to include all public utilities, not just investor-owned utilities, and changes the definition of a “qualifying securitization” to allow payments to be provided at least annually. The revenue procedure also sets forth the manner in which a public utility may treat certain legislatively authorized securitization transactions involving the issuance of debt instruments by a qualifying state financing entity, which is entered into by the public utility to recover specified costs through a non-bypassable surcharge to customers within the utility’s historic service area.

March 18, 2024: The IRS reminded taxpayers of the various ways to prevent typical errors on their federal tax returns to help speed up potential refunds, including using electronic filing, keeping copies of tax returns and ensuring the filing status is correct.

March 19, 2024: The IRS released Revenue Procedure 2024-17, which provides that war, civil unrest or similar adverse conditions precluded the normal conduct of business in Ukraine, Belarus, Sudan, Haiti, Niger and Iraq on or after various 2023 dates and, therefore, individuals with established residency or physical presence on or before the relevant dates are eligible for income exclusion under § 911(d)(1) of the Code.

March 19, 2024: The IRS released Notice 2024-29, which provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates used under § 417(e)(3), the 24-month average segment rates used under § 430(h)(2), the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities under § 417I(3)(A)(ii)(II) as in [...]

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Can the IRS Assert IRC Section 6676’s Erroneous Refund Penalty on Protective Refund Claims?

by Kevin Spencer, Edward L. Froelich and Samuel J. Preston | Mar 25, 2024 | IRS Audits, IRS Guidance, Tax Refunds

We once again want to bring to your attention the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) new favorite penalty provision: Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 6676. We have reported on this provision several times before (See here, here and here), but this time we’re analyzing it in the context of protective refund claims.

As background, IRC Section 6676 was enacted in 2007 in response to the high number of presumed meritless refund claims being filed at the time. It imposes a 20% penalty to the extent that a claim for refund or credit with respect to income tax is made for an “excessive amount.” An “excessive amount” is defined as the difference between the amount of the claim for credit or refund sought and the amount that is actually allowable. For example, if a taxpayer claims a $2 million refund and the IRS allows only $1 million, the taxpayer can still be penalized $200,000 (e.g., 20% of the amount of the refund that was disallowed). Significantly, IRC Section 6676 does not require the IRS to show any fault or culpability on the part of the taxpayer (e.g., negligence or a disregard of rules or regulations). Neither the IRC nor the regulations provide for any defense to the Section 6676 penalty other than “reasonable cause.” Moreover, the penalty is immediately assessable, and generally taxpayers cannot fight the IRS on the penalty in a prepayment forum like it can the US Tax Court. Instead, the taxpayer must first pay the penalty and seek redress in a refund forum in either the relevant US federal district court or the US Court of Federal Claims.

Now that the IRS is asserting the IRC Section 6676 penalty more frequently, taxpayers are asking whether the penalty can apply to a protective refund claim. A protective refund claim is a judicial creation under which a taxpayer files a “protective” refund claim that is expressly contingent on a specified future event, like a taxpayer-friendly holding in a relevant court case. The Supreme Court of the United States has endorsed protective refund claims to toll the statute of limitations on the refund claim and thereby protect the taxpayer’s right to claim the refund if the favorable event should occur. (See, e.g., United States v. Kales, 314 US. 186 (1941), and CCA 201136021 (describing protective claims in detail).)

So, does the IRC Section 6676 penalty apply to a protective refund claim? Based on IRS internal guidance from 2022, the IRS believes that the IRC Section 6676 penalty applies to any filing that constitutes a “claim for credit or refund” of income tax, including a protective refund claim. To apply the penalty, the IRS would have to process the protective refund claim, deny the claim and then assert the IRC Section 6676 penalty.

Processing and denying a protective refund claim go against most tax practitioners’ experience and understanding of how the IRS treats protective refund claims. Typically, the refund claim is [...]

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